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Carriage House Children's Center
 Architect
Moshier Studio
201 South Highland Avenue, #203, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
www.moshierstudio.com
General Description
LEED® Existing Buildings Gold
Location:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date Bid: Dec 2005
Construction Period: May 2006 to Apr 2007
Total Square Feet: 40,000 Site: .75 acre.
Number of Buildings: One; 16 classrooms, seating capacity, 170.
Building Size: Basement, 10,000; first floor, 10,000; second
floor, 10,000; third floor, 10,000; total, 40,000 square feet.
Building Height: Basement, 12’; first floor, 16’; second floor,
16’; third floor, 32’; total, 76’.
Basic Construction Type: Renovation/Brick.
Foundation: Reinforced concrete. Exterior Walls: CMU,
brick.
Roof: Membrane, slate. Floors: Concrete, wood.
Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall.
Projected and/or Modeled Energy Usage KBTU/SF/yr: 55.
Construction Team
Electrical Engineer: Carlins Consulting - 8005 Broadlawn Dr.,
Pittsburgh, PA 15237-4152
Mechanical Engineer & Commissioning Agent: BDA Engineering - 217
W. 8th Ave., West Homestead, PA 15120
General Contractor: Jendoco Construction Company - 2000 Lincoln
Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235
LEED Consultant: Moshier Studio - 201 South Highland Avenue,
#203, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Carriage House Children's Center is a pioneer in the field of early
childhood education, with Southwestern Pennsylvania's first infant and
toddler program in 1974. The organization's entrepreneurial and
risk-taking spirit has resulted in several major accomplishments over
the last 35 years.
In 1985 Carriage House purchased the 113-year-old, 40,000-square-foot
Wightman School Community Building and relocated in 1986. Since that
time, Carriage House has overseen seven major renovations to the
Wightman School Community Building transforming the building from a
dilapidated, public school building that did not even meet fire and
safety codes and was once considered for demolition, to one that is now
gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and is registered with
the National Registry of Historic Places.
The Wightman School Community Building is a multi-use facility where
over 17,000 square feet of multipurpose and office space is leased to
local non-profits, small businesses and other family-oriented groups.
CHCC manages the entire building and operates the CHCC childcare
program, which consists of ten classrooms between the lower level and
the first floor. Administrative offices, conference rooms, and multiple
tenant office spaces are located on the second floor. The third floor is
home to a gymnasium and five music/dance studios.
In 2006 and 2007 Carriage House renovated the entire lower level of the
building (9,720 square feet), which houses the infant and toddler
programs, the kitchen, the boiler, and other storage and multi-use
rooms. Carriage House also retrofitted many of the building's lighting
and plumbing fixtures to meet LEED(R) criteria. Air conditioning was
added to the first floor.
Extensive demolition of non-load bearing and bearing walls located all
four classrooms (infants, young toddlers, toddlers, and one extra
classroom) at the front of the building, where they each benefit from
more natural light. Spaces not used by children, such as the kitchen and
the laundry room, have taken their place where the windows struggle to
receive light. The center of the lower level has been opened up to
create a large indoor play area that is subdivided for two groups to use
at the same time. Access to daylighting and views have been opened to
increase the amount of natural light in the center of the lower level.
Two classrooms have unique entrances to this central space- two enclosed
porches for the young toddlers and older toddlers. Preschool sized
bathrooms have been located in two of the classrooms for children who
are making this transition.
The new "green" kitchen has reach-in coolers, food storage areas, and
the commercial dishwasher adjacent to the elevator for good delivery
access, and for ease of sending prepared food up to the other
classrooms. The kitchen is designed to comply with Energy Star ratings
at 60 or above. The entire building is now rated as Energy Star 81.
All plumbing faucets and toilets are low-flow fixtures. With the
exception of one teacher sink per classroom, all children's faucets are
hands-free to promote healthy handwashing methods.
The new, lower-level classrooms have a suspended ceiling for acoustical
control, as high as the bottom of the original beams, and not blocking
the windows. Heated and cooled air is delivered from the individual heat
pumps via exposed round ducts below the ceiling. All classrooms are
equipped with individual thermostats.
On the first and lower-level indirect lighting illuminates the ceiling,
giving off an impression of openness and more light output with less
energy. T-8, daylighting systems have been installed throughout the
lower-level. The lights are dimmable in all classrooms and are
programmed to coordinate with the children's napping schedules.
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